Bulk roll of FP4+ in Canada.

My local shop quoted me a price of $68.00.Seems high to me but I can't find another source in Canada.
Suggestions?

Mike Kennedy said:

My local shop quoted me a price of $68.00.Seems high to me but I can't find another source in Canada.
Suggestions?

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$64.99 at Henry's, which is a pretty fair benchmark, so $68 locally doesn't sound too bad for a fresh bulk roll.

That seems like too much. Photococan in Montreal has HP5 Plus bulk rolls for $53 -- FP4 Plus isn't listed on their site, but you could call them and ask.

$43.50 US at B&H in New York, but the shipping to Canada is costly so you will want to order some other stuff to make it worthwhile, if you decide to go that way.

Hi Jim,
I've pretty much abandon ordering from the states because of our dollar.

FWIW: I have a movie reel (new, unopened box) of FP4. I wouldn't even know how many feet it is but it's huge. Outdated, but I'm sure it works fine. PM me if interested. I'm guessing this is 35mm film. I bought the box by accident some 4 years ago.

Mike Kennedy said:

Hi Jim,
I've pretty much abandon ordering from the states because of our dollar.

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Even at 80 US cents to the Canadian dollar, B&H's prices are attractive. I can't get 135-36 rolls of Superia 100, 200 or 400 in Canada for $2 US/$2.50 Cdn. Not even close.

PhotoJim said:

Even at 80 US cents to the Canadian dollar, B&H's prices are attractive. I can't get 135-36 rolls of Superia 100, 200 or 400 in Canada for $2 US/$2.50 Cdn. Not even close.

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(getting on soap box, is this thing on, yes, good)

When you don't support local and domestic businesses, you can't blame someone else when those businesses are no longer there or if they are, don't sell those products you want anymore. Going down to the camera shop when your out of film and finding they don't sell it anymore, because everyone orders their film from the US, is that worth saving $2 a roll? Maybe for you it is, I would rather support my local shop, even if it does mean spending a little more per roll, just to know I can still get it locally. The day you desperately need a roll and find the local place doesn't sell it anymore, and you need to get it shipped from the US overnight air, with big shipping charges and huge brokerage fees, you will use up all that money you saved in one go.

The auto business is another example, when everyone decided instead of buying from GM, Ford and Chrysler, they would buy from Honda, Toyota and Hyundai instead, we had to expect that it would create problems, so now it's going to cost Billions, to save the jobs of the people these companies employ. It's not so easy to say just let them go, when it's over half a million jobs on the line, and the loss of those jobs puts the Province that has been the economic engine of the country since confederation on the brink of total collapse.

(getting off soap box).

Hear, hear!

Having a place that takes analog seriously is something I'll spend a few extra bucks on.

wogster said:

(getting on soap box, is this thing on, yes, good)

The auto business is another example, when everyone decided instead of buying from GM, Ford and Chrysler, they would buy from Honda, Toyota and Hyundai instead, we had to expect that it would create problems, so now it's going to cost Billions, to save the jobs of the people these companies employ. It's not so easy to say just let them go, when it's over half a million jobs on the line, and the loss of those jobs puts the Province that has been the economic engine of the country since confederation on the brink of total collapse.

(getting off soap box).

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That's actually not a great example - Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai have car plants in a number of places in North America - the concept of an "American Car" being just the Big 3 is a fallacy these days. Also, a lot of people were driven away from the Big 3 (myself included) by quality issues over the years (sowing the seeds of their own undoing comes to mind), which is not the case with film manufacturers.

I will agree, though, that having a local photo store is a very good thing. It's unfortunate that the differences in importing/distribution result in differences in the prices of film (although I don't usually notice it substantially roll-to-roll, but in bulk rolls that may be the case). Support the local retailer if you can, otherwise, do what you have to do.

Some cheap Toronto Film suggestions

I'm using APX 400 bulk film from Downtown Camera, but it is cheaper to get Arista II (400 ASA x 24 35mm cassette manufactured by Agfa) from Aden camera on Yonge, $2.19/roll, boxed, or bricks of 10. I see no difference from APX400.

Also, Shoppers Drug Mart is often flogging discounted Fuji Superia 400 for specific intervals. Got packs of 3 for $6.99 this weekend and have got it for as low as 80c/roll (But only once...stocked up big time!!!)

This weekend I also saw the Shopper's "Made in Japan"" house brand (Easy Pics? ), $5.99 for 3 rolls. I prefer the Superia.

And of course, the 2 PHSC "Big One" shows in Toronto, Spring and Fall, are excellent sources of "dollar per roll" 135 and 120 film. I usually walk away with tons of expired film and kick myself for not getting even more.

You can miss the forest for the trees...mabman, you have a fantastic store in Photo Central right in your city. I will say that for me, film and developer choices make a big difference. That's what this place is all about!

We all have to watch our money, but taking a long view is useful I think.

I buy quite a lot of stuff locally. Unfortunately some of what I need (like 36-exposure rolls of amateur colour print film in 35mm) just aren't available here.

As for automobiles (and perhaps a separate thread is in order here), we own a pair of Hondas, one made in Japan and the other made in Ohio. One (the '09 Fit) we bought because it was the best subcompact we could find (we didn't want a cheap, poorly equipped car; we wanted a well-equipped small car that would be affordable to run and complement our larger sedan well.) The other (the '07 Accord) we bought because it was the best midsize car we could find, and the only one we could find readily available well equipped with a manual transmission. The American manufacturers don't think anyone wants such cars, so buying from them wasn't an option.

Besides, I'm Canadian. Why is buying a Japanese car worse than buying an American car? The head offices of each company are in a foreign country, from my perspective. Besides, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai (Korean, but still fits the pattern) all make cars in Canada. And the GM cars in the niche that the Honda Fit occupies are made in South Korea anyway.

Besides, at some point, if film photography becomes a seriously fringe business, it's going to be the very large retailers like B&H that will be the sources for everyone. That day seems eventual to me.

Mike, considering todays rate of exchange for our $ plus shipping I think buying from Henry's at $64 is not such a bad deal. I bought a bulk roll of FP4 because it is still cheaper to load my own casettes.

Costco in Canada offers Fuji Superia 400. 6 (24ex) rolls for around $14 CDN. While in the US I bought the same 6 rolls packages for $7.99 US at Costco. Pretty cheap for decent colour film. It used to say Made in the US, it now says Made in Japan.

Colin Corneau said:

You can miss the forest for the trees...mabman, you have a fantastic store in Photo Central right in your city. I will say that for me, film and developer choices make a big difference. That's what this place is all about!

We all have to watch our money, but taking a long view is useful I think.

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As I said, I like buying locally (and I especially like Photo Central), but if the price difference including shipping and duties does make it make-or-break purchase, I say buy the film where you can - at least film is being consumed somehow, which can't be bad for the industry as a whole.

(And I don't really think after shipping and duty that the price difference will be that much, but rather some film consumed than no film consumed.)

PhotoJim said:

I buy quite a lot of stuff locally. Unfortunately some of what I need (like 36-exposure rolls of amateur colour print film in 35mm) just aren't available here.

Besides, at some point, if film photography becomes a seriously fringe business, it's going to be the very large retailers like B&H that will be the sources for everyone. That day seems eventual to me.

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There probably isn't a huge call for 36 exposure rolls of amateur films, in fact looking at the Fuji Canada site, they don't even list their amateur films at 36X lengths. For me, I don't really care, I can pop into the local Supercentre (A member of the Loblaw grocery store division of Gaelen Westons empire), and pick up a 3 pack of Fuji Superia 24X for $9, why would I bother to get a total price from the US, get a US$ money order, place my order, hope that they do the right paperwork for customs, wait weeks for the order to come by Canada Post, so that I don't get killed on brokerage charges and hope that I don't get the worlds slowest customs agent, and that they don't leave it sitting on top of a radiator while waiting for the customs agent to determine whether that's a period or a comma after PLEASE KEEP COOL! As for the money order, I don't believe in credit cards, so I don't have one.

Forget cars, probably not a good example, although it is one of the very few items still made here......

I don't know, I think I am the only one here, who expects that film will follow the well established history of new technology, that when there is a wide adoption of a new technology (in this case digital imaging), that a few years later there is a renaissance in the old technology, as people discover that the new technology isn't as good as the marketing hype around it. Lots of people are now finding that digital isn't as cheap as they thought it was, sure they used to spend $300 a year on film and processing, now they spend $1000 every other year on a new camera because the old one is now obsolete. I think I must be one of about 5 people in Canada who is still happy with my now 5 year old Canon Digital Rebel, although I still don't consider my Konica FC-1 as obsolete even though it just turned 27, and I don't consider my semi-retired Konica TC as obsolete at 31! The fact I can use the latest films with these cameras means they are not obsolete,

The TC is semi-retired because it has a light leak and the meter quit, it needs to go for service, although I can get a refurbished one from the repair guy for about $100, so I may send him the old one in exchange for a refurbished one, but the repair guy (only one who works on these cameras, which have not been made in 20 years) is in the US, and it's a PITA to go through the hassle....
.

I have two issues with 24-exposure rolls. One, it means I have to change film much more often, which, when doing portraits of my niece and nephew (my primary subject with colour print film) is a nuisance and makes me miss shots. Two, it's a lot less environmentally friendly.

It may be that Fuji and Kodak decide not to offer 36-exposure rolls of amateur negative film here. They certainly used to be readily available. B&H and Adorama both have them at very low prices (I just bought 20 rolls of Superia 400 at B&H when I visted the store in person last week, in fact) so I can get what I want without spending a fortune. Yes, I could get professional 35mm film but it's a lot more expensive.

PhotoJim said:

I have two issues with 24-exposure rolls. One, it means I have to change film much more often, which, when doing portraits of my niece and nephew (my primary subject with colour print film) is a nuisance and makes me miss shots. Two, it's a lot less environmentally friendly.

It may be that Fuji and Kodak decide not to offer 36-exposure rolls of amateur negative film here. They certainly used to be readily available. B&H and Adorama both have them at very low prices (I just bought 20 rolls of Superia 400 at B&H when I visted the store in person last week, in fact) so I can get what I want without spending a fortune. Yes, I could get professional 35mm film but it's a lot more expensive.

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You can look at it two ways, if there were a demand, then they would be available, most likely though, people who wanted them started buying from the US to save a few cents per roll, so they quit getting them in.

Because half of my shooting these days is digital, I don't use a lot of colour film. However I find that for B&W, digital doesn't work quite as well as I would like, so I use film for that. I also don't have the same focal length capacity on the digital (it took 25 years to collect it for my film cameras , hopefully doesn't take as long), so if I want the extra capacity and colour, I need to use colour film. To get back to where we started, 24 exposure works for me,

One interesting point, I see the new Ektar 100 is available in 36 exposure, looks like it's between a amateur and professional film for pricing Henry's has it for $5.19 a roll, most of the pro films are around $8 and the amateur films around $3 (for 24 exposure) so, it may be an option. I expect to see more pricing like this in the future, not as cheap as the US, but less of a hassle as well.

The Ektar pricing is fair.

I don't know what other 36-exposure-preferring people did, but I started mail ordering it when it disappeared in Canada, not the other way around.